I just saw that Ukraine officially enacted a significant change in its nationality legislation. Basically, now Ukrainians can obtain passports from friendly countries without losing their Ukrainian citizenship, which is quite meaningful given the current geopolitical situation.

The law clearly defines which countries this is possible with. We are talking about the entire European Union (Austria, Germany, Poland, France, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and others), as well as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand. A Ukrainian in Germany or Canada can now apply for a local passport without giving up full Ukrainian citizenship.

But here’s the interesting part: the government has implemented quite strict security mechanisms. It is completely prohibited to acquire Ukrainian nationality while holding Russian citizenship, nor from countries that do not recognize Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Any attempt to legitimize a Russian passport is automatically blocked, and if someone tries, they can lose their Ukrainian nationality directly.

Another important point: holding a foreign passport does not exempt you from obligations in Ukraine. You are still considered an exclusively Ukrainian citizen by the state, so military service and taxes remain mandatory for tax residents. Additionally, if you hold a position with access to state secrets, are a judge, or lead security agencies, you will need to renounce that foreign passport first.

Ukrainian officials see this as a strategy to maintain ties with millions of Ukrainians dispersed around the world who want to participate in the country’s reconstruction. It’s a smart move considering the Ukrainian diaspora and how this can strengthen economic and political connections abroad.